


I Can't Make You Love Me

by orphan_account



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-10-05
Updated: 2000-10-05
Packaged: 2019-05-15 12:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14790447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Danny causes CJ to start to realize that she has feelings for Toby.





	I Can't Make You Love Me

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Disclaimers: The West Wing and it's characters are the property of Aaron Sorkin, Warner Brothers and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this. The song "I Can't Make You Love Me" is the property of Bonnie Raitt and her record label. No copyright infringement is intended

Rating: PG

Summary: Danny causes CJ to start to realize that she has feelings for Toby.

Author's Note: Well I had another idea come to me, but this time it came after class. I want to think AJ and cherryice for allowing me to tell them what I had planned for this story. And for telling me it would work.

 

Danny stood quietly in the doorway of his bedroom watching CJ sleep. For some reason he had been unable to sleep that night, so he got up to work on a story. As he was working he had turned the radio on, and a song had played that had reminded him of CJ. He had been so ecstatic when they had first gotten together. It had seemed as if all of his dreams were coming true. And perhaps they had for awhile. Then he had started to notice it. He was very certain she was unaware of it herself. She wasn't really in love with him. Oh, yes there were feelings there, but they didn't run as deep as his feelings for her. And then he had started to observe her even more closely. He knew she didn't have any clue about it, but he knew. And with that knowledge being with her was wrong. He knew that he needed to end it, but he didn't know how.

After hearing the song on the radio, he had taken his CD out and put the song on repeat. As he was standing there it started to play again.

Turn down the lights, turn down the bed  
Turn down these voices inside my head  
Lay down with me, tell me no lies  
Just hold me close, don't patronize - don't patronize me  
Cause I can't make you love me if you don't  
You can't make your heart feel something it won't  
Here in the dark, in these lonely hours  
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power  
But you won't, no you won't  
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't  
I'll close my eyes, then I won't see  
The love you don't feel when you're holding me

Morning will come and I'll do what's right  
Just give me till then to give up this fight  
And I will give up this fight  
Cause I can't make you love me if you don't  
You can't make your heart feel something it won't  
Here in the dark, in these lonely hours  
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power  
But you won't, no you won't  
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't

Danny stood in the doorway watching CJ sleep for a long time. He knew that he had to do the right thing for both of them. And if that broke his heart then he would just have to live with the pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

CJ woke up the next morning and immediately looked for Danny. But she was unable to find him. When she came into the living room a few minutes later, she found him sitting on the couch, typing on his laptop. "Good morning." She said leaning down to kiss him. "Morning." Danny said moving until she only kissed his cheek.

"Hold on a minute. What's going on here?" CJ asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. You're just not acting normal this morning."

"We need to talk." Danny said.

"Okay. But it has to be quick. I have to get to work."

"This isn't working." Danny said.

"What isn't working?"

"Us."

"Where are you getting this from?" CJ asked.

"You don't even see this do you?"

"See what?"

"How did you feel about the shooting?" Danny asked.

"Why are you bringing that up? It's been a year!"

"Yeah, and shortly after it happened you and I ended up together."

"I know that. It's my life too."

"How did you feel about Toby being shot?" Danny asked.

"Danny he's a friend. I was upset. I would have been just as upset if it had been Leo, Sam, Charlie, or Josh."

"Really?"

"Danny I really don't no where this is coming from?"

"You really don't realize it do you?"

"Realize what?"

"You're in love with him."

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah you are."

"I think I'm the best judge of what my feelings are!" CJ said incredulously.

"You aren't facing up to your feelings."

"Yes I am!"

"CJ, listen to me. You need to face this. If you don't you are going to regret it."

"I think I'm the best judge of that."

"CJ I'm not going to change my mind. It's over." Danny said.

"Fine."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

After leaving Danny's apartment, CJ went home. She decided that she really was in no condition to go to work. She called in sick, which was something she had never done before. Danny's words kept running through her mind. She was *not* in love with Toby. She couldn't be. It was not possible. It was not true. But then again it could be true. There was what had happened between them during the campaign. However, they had gotten past that and had a strictly professional and working relationship now. Maybe it was the remnants of that one night that Danny was picking up on. Okay maybe there was something to what Danny was saying. Maybe she did have feelings for Toby. After all that night had remained unresolved. They had never spoken of it again. The knock on her door startled CJ who had been asleep. As she went to answer it, she glanced at the clock and realized it was after eight. "Oh, this can't be happening to me." She thought after looking out the peep hole.

"Hello, CJ." Toby said as she opened the door.

"Toby what are you doing here?" CJ asked as she let him into the apartment.

"You never call in sick. So I was worried and I thought I would come by and check on you."

"That's very sweet." CJ said. "But I'm fine now. I was feeling nauseous this morning. I'm fine now."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Toby said. "I'm surprised that Danny is not here checking up on you."

"Toby I really don't want to talk about Danny right now."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you two were having problems." Toby said.

"Neither did I. At least not until this morning."

"What happened?"

"Toby, I don't know if I really want to talk about this with you."

"Okay." Toby said and he turned to leave.

"Toby, wait a minute."

"Yeah."

"Do you ever think about that night we spent together during the campaign?" CJ asked.

"Why do you ask?" Toby wondered.

"I was just wondering."

"Yeah I think about it a lot."

"Okay."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Toby said.

"Okay. " CJ said. And when he was at the door she spoke again. "Toby, the reason, Danny ended it is that he thinks I'm in love with you."

Toby stood there in shock for a moment. "Is there any truth to that?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know." CJ said and then watched him leave.

She walked over to lock the door after he left. Then she leaned against the door for a moment thinking. "I don't know if it is true, but Danny is right. I do need to know exactly what my feelings for Toby are."

The end

  

  


End file.
